Farmer’s miracle survival after being hit by truck

Published: June 3, 2008 | 7112th good news item since 2003

Family of a Featherston farm bike rider are stunned “the tough old bugger” survived a collision with a truck that ran him over on Friday.

Donald Fuge, 67, was yesterday awaiting transfer back to Wairarapa Hospital after having facial surgery at Hutt Valley Hospital to repair a head wound that had exposed his skull.

“I’m feeling good as gold now. It was just a bit of skin off the top of the head,” he said.

Mr Fuge, a horse trainer and dairy farmer, was on his way to shift stock when he turned in front of a truck on State Highway 53 near Tauherenikau that was travelling behind him about 3:30 on Friday afternoon.

“I don’t remember anything about the crash and have no idea how it happened,” he said.

“I guess I’m pretty lucky it wasn’t any worse.”

His wife Beth was still in shock yesterday as she described her husband being “up and talking as if nothing happened to him”.

“It’s quite miraculous considering he doesn’t even have any broken bones.”

Mrs Fuge had spoken to her husband by cellphone shortly before the crash and he had told her he was going to shift some stock.

“It must have just happened as I was getting home but because he was around at the bottom farm I didn’t come across it. When I got home there was a message on the answer phone saying he was being taken to hospital.

“I followed up after the ambulance and then he was transferred to the Hutt and had surgery right away.”

She said his recovery is “remarkable, he’s fooled everybody”.

“No one can believe how well he’s doing and everyone is saying it’s because he’s a tough old bugger.”

The site of the crash is known as a “dangerous corner”, she said.

“We always pull into the middle of the road when turning because if you pull to the side you can’t see if anything is coming. It’s always been very dangerous.”

Mrs Fuge said their granddaughter had been feeling guilty after the crash “because she had asked for help to get the stock back in the paddock and that’s where he was going when it happened”.

“Donald’s told her to stop being silly and if it had been her fault he would have kicked her up the butt by now.”

She said the only concern with his injuries is that his eye socket is in danger of collapsing once the swelling goes down.

“That’s why they’ve keep him at the Hutt but it looks like they will transfer him back to Masterton and just see how it goes.”